Menu

The 3D Mockingjay

This week Lionsgate announced that Mockingjay Part 1 finally would be released in China on Feb 8. The movie was initially planned for release in 2014 but what pushed back for some reason. China is an ever-important market for pretty much everything, so if marketed well, Mockingjay could pull in some big bucks here.

But what to do to give the movie some extra “spark” considering the delay? And how to maximize any potential revenue there? Premium format, y’all, namely….

Yes, Chinese audiences will have the option of seeing Mockingjay Part 1 in converted 3D format. Are you curious what kind of changes they’ve made in the conversion? We are, but we’re also pretty skeptical that it would actually enhance the viewing experience. Francis Lawrence did not create the film with 3D in mind, so this after-the-fact conversion, while common, can end up being more of a distraction than an actual enhancement to the film.

It’s like the beak is coming right out of her neck… Oh, this poster isn’t 3D?

But some people like that more in-your-face experience, and are willing to pay more for it. So go ahead China, see the rubble and skeletons of District 12 pop out with even more horror, be amazed as Boggs and Gale propel down to the Tribute Center on the mission to rescue Peeta, watch Katniss’s eyeballs bulge just a bit more as Peeta strangles her. You had to wait so long, at least now there’s still something to buzzy to talk about with your release.

This move makes us wonder about Mockingjay Part 2 however. Will Lionsgate go more wide with the 3D release in the US and everywhere else? They’ve already announced plans to use the 3D box-office bump with Insurgent, and we know Mockingjay Part 2 has more 3D-fodder action scenes. If they go this direction, I hope they had this in mind for a while so Francis Lawrence could plan ways to make the 3D relevant, and not cross the line into glorifying the horrors of war and violence. This move in China makes it seem just that more probable that the final Mockingjay will be coming at you in more premium format$.